Dr.Rowlands had discontinued the odious and ridiculous custom of the younger boys taking their exercise under a master's inspection.

Boys are not generally fond of constitutionals, so that on the half-holidays they almost entirely confined their open-air exercise to the regular games, and many of them hardly left the play-ground boundaries once a week.

But on Sundays they often went walks, each with his favorite friend or companion.

When Eric first came as a boarder, he invariably went with Russell on Sunday, and many a pleasant stroll they had taken together, sometimes accompanied by Duncan, Montagu, or Owen.

The latter, however, had dropped even this intercourse with Eric, who for the last few weeks had more often gone with his new friend Upton.
"Come a walk, boy," said Upton, as they left the dining-room.
"O excuse me to-day, Upton," said Eric, "I'm going with your cousin." "Oh _very_ well," said Upton, in high dudgeon, and, hoping to make Eric jealous, he went a walk with Graham, whom he had "taken up" before he knew Williams.
Russell was rather surprised when Eric came to him and said, "Come a stroll to Fort Island, Edwin--will you ?" "O yes," said Russell cheerfully; "why, we haven't seen each other for some time lately! I was beginning to fancy that you meant to drop me, Eric." He spoke with a smile, and in a rallying tone, but Eric hung his head, for the charge was true.